Nicolas Cadena

Overall the trip was a bit challenging in that spending only 2 nites in each of the 3 islands was tiring after a couple of hours riding speed ferries followed by water activities like snorkeling requiring more speed boat rides. I relied on motion sickness pills after a terrible motion sickness episode initially.
My recommendation for other tourists is spend at least 3 nights on each island.

Excursions or activities on San Cristobal and Isabela were well organized and carried out well by the local guides, etc.
Activities on Santa Cruz were, imo, waste of time and money. They did not meet my expectations and I could have skipped them.

The Galápagos Islands were amazing in that I saw how the marine and sea animals can coexist harmoniously.

Nicholas did a good job except one miscalculation of the dates on his part costed me extra several hundred dollars. Ouch!

Activity Reviews

Colonial Quito City Tour & the Middle of the World

Quito

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to San Cristóbal Island! Visit the Interpretation Center, Tijeretas Hill, or La Lobería

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover the Wonders of Tintoreras Islet: A Journey into Breathtaking Biodiversity

Puerto Villamil

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kicker Rock: A Snorkeling Adventure

Isla San Cristóbal

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking Adventure in Tortuga Bay & Afternoon Bay Tour of Santa Cruz Island

Puerto Ayora

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Bay Tour of Santa Cruz Island

Puerto Ayora

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wildlife Encounter at Los Tuneles (Cabo Rosa)

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to the airport for your flight back home (Departure)

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

No English. But the driver was very sweet.

Transport

Free Morning Until Departure

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip to Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands was a celebration of Beth and my 50th wedding anniversary and has been on our bucket list for sometime. We were not disappointed! It was exceptionally well designed by Nickolas at Kimkim and we were pleased with all aspects (except for our contact not picking us up upon our arrival, noting that Nickolas remedy the situation in the early hours of the morning). Our accommodations at the Patio Andaluz in Quito were very good and exceptionally situated for touring the old part of the city. We have to give a shout out the staff at the hotel for their exceptional level of service, support and friendliness.
Our guide for city, Sebastian Carrera, was outstanding, providing us with great recommendations for dinning, visiting and strolling. His knowledge of Quito and Ecuador was deeply appreciated, as well as his friendly demeanor. Beth and I thought that the highlight of the day was the cooking class we experienced with Sebastian at the La Casona de la Ronda. The chef, Carlos, guided us through the preparation of several Ecuadorian dishes, which turned out to be one of the best meals that we experienced. We highly recommend this opportunity to visitor, getting to know the people, food and culture! It was additionally special to visit the Middle of the World exhibit and straddle the equator!
Our tour of the Mindo, with Diego, was exceptional in all aspects. His knowledge of the ecosystems, wildlife and birds of the Mind Cloud forest was informative and fascinating. He took us to the resort Bella Visit, where we saw so many tropical birds, and he provided his time to help Beth with the use of her professional camera for which she was deeply grateful. The photos and memories from this part of the trip will be cherished.
The center piece and absolute highlight of our trip was visiting several islands in the Galapagos on the Archipel 1 and with our guide, Christian. We want to thank Nicholas of Kimkim for arranging our trip on the ship, Archipel 1. This vessel is owned and operated by the people of the Galápagos Islands, which had profound meaning to Beth and I, knowing were supporting the local economy. The ship, its amenities, and especially the crew were top flight in all aspects (excluding running out of hot water on a few occasions). The 10-person crew members did everything they could to provide you with the best experiences on the ship and make your life comfortable. They deserve a 5-star rating. Our guide, Christian, is also from the Galápagos Islands. His exceptional knowledge of the people, culture, natural history, and ecosystems of the islands provided us with incredible insights and opportunities. The agenda and information that Christian provided us everyday on the trip encompassed all we could have imagined, blending field excursions and evening briefings with opportunities to snorkel and swim with the sea life. Christian is a star and anyone who gets the opportunity to be with him should be very pleased.
Overall, the trip that Kimkim provided for us was truly five star and we would recommend them to anyone and everyone.

Hotel Reviews

Archipel I

Guayaquil - Ecuador

The crew on the Archipel I were phenomenal, extremely supportive, and friendly. The food was outstanding, and the catamaran itself was ideal for relaxation. However, the hot water availability was limited, which was a minor inconvenience. Overall, it was a wonderful experience, especially with the guidance of Sebastian on board.

Wyndham Quito Airport

Quito

The Wyndham Quito Airport was a great place to stay for relaxing and decompression before the flight back home. It was a good place to decompress after the trip to the Galapagos before flying home, and was conveniently located for airport access.

Activity Review

Colonial City Tour, Cooking Class & the Middle of the World Monument

Quito

The cooking class was fantastic! We made a traditional potato soup that turned out to be phenomenal and also prepared a fish dish with sautéed vegetables, followed by a fruit dessert. It was an enriching experience, and we're even planning to recreate the soup for friends at home.

I went with three others on an 8 day cruise on the ship Archipel 1 over Christmas with the naturalist Christian. The boat was well-appointed, the food was excellent and the others cruising with us were all very pleasant. Angel did an outstanding job of remembering everyone's food likes and dislikes and kept bringing us our favorite foods. Carlos kept the cabins immaculately clean and the beds made well.
We snorkeled and hiked with Christian, who was very well-informed about the geology of the islands as well as the biology. Besides this type of trip, Christian runs diving excursions too.
The trip covered Genovesa in the north, Batholome and Santiago in the central along with Santa Cruz, Floreana and Espanola and finally San Cristobal in the East. If I'm ever fortunate enough to return, I'd very much like to see the western islands too.
The birds were fascinating, but I would have liked to do even more snorkeling than I did, so my suggestion to others is that they emphasize the snorkeling and come equipped with the ability to take underwater pictures and movies.
Nick was always punctual with replies and was outstanding to deal with. There were no hitches with the plans.
We stayed at the Wyndham Quito Hotel near the airport, and it's a very nice hotel with modern comfortable rooms and an excellent and delicious free breakfast buffet and a similarly excellent dinner buffet.

Karlita did a fabulous job planning our unforgettable trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos. She accommodated all our family group's interests and abilities (ages 30- 65+). I appreciate that she advised us thoughtfully and raised the right questions to help us make the right choices. For example, she worked with the local guide Sebastian in Quito to provide suggestions like flipping the order of certain activities to make more sense and allow us to fit more things in a logical way. Another example was how she had hotel rooms conveniently arranged for us on the day we returned from the Amazon, so we didn't have to hang around the airport for 12 hours until our international flights home from Quito. She did not simply say yes to everything we asked for without thinking - she genuinely guided us, which is what we needed. No detail was left unthought of! Including special surprises for the special occasions on the trip.

Highlights: The GO Hotel in Quito was amazing! We especially loved our guide in Quito, Sebastian. He is extremely knowledgable and passionate about Ecuador, plus personable, friendly and fun! We also loved the staff and our local guide Cheyanne at the NAPO Cultural Center eco-lodge. Overall, Karlita was able to fit such a diverse mix of activities and parts of Ecuador into our 15-day trip without it feeling totally exhausting.

My only point of feedback: We were probably limited by our budget and availability by the time we booked (last-minute), but the only thing I would have appreciated is being offered more tiered options / operator choices for the cruise in Galapagos and eco-lodge in the Amazon, so that we could have understood the differences and chosen to upgrade to something higher-end if we wanted.

Our trip planner is Karlita
I have nothing but praises for the planning and attention to detail for this trip to Ecuador. I have such great memories. It was a fantastic vacation! Thank you Karlita. You listened and delivered. You also told us when we suggested something and you said it was too much. The trip was a great combination of history and nature. Our guide Sebastian (in Quito) was absolutely amazing. He was knowledgeable, fun and loved to share his country’s history as well as personal. He took good care of my sisters when hiking in Antisana. He bought some local snacks for us so we could enjoy them along the drives.
In Galapagos I have no complaints about the crew, the activities or the guides. The cabins on Coral 1 are a little old and definitely use updating. A big complaint is that when the boat sailed during the night the noise from the engines was very loud in the cabins. We could not sleep. I think the ship can do something to mitigate the noise. Or for future planning we would request higher level cabins.
In the Amazon the Napo Culture Lodge was an amazing experience. I loved being in the community and watching the people. Our community guide Cheyenne was excellent - he knew the animals and spotted so many things for us.
Overall - Karlita thank you for putting together this amazing trip for us. I have no hesitation in recommending your company to my friends and family.
Thank you!

Hotel Reviews

Napo Cultural Center

NAPO

It was just lovely to be in the Amazon within a community. The lodge is well designed and comfortable. Simple but clean and comfortable. I was not expecting to get an WiFi - I was pleasantly surprised! They provided water bottles that could be refilled from the water filter stations. Liked that they are conscious of reducing plastic waste.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Wyndham Quito Airport

Quito

Nice hotel close to Quito airport. The shuttle service to and from the airport terminals is quick and easy. The staff at every level deliver excellent service. Being close to the airport it was still surprisingly quiet and very little airplane noise was heard in the rooms.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

M/Y Coral I & II

The crew and activities are faultless. The cabins in the lower deck near the engine can get noisy. So request a cabin on higher level

Ikala Quito Hotel

Quito

The hotel is modern , the staff attentive, the breakfast selection amazing. The rooftop restaurant (where breakfast is also served) simply beautiful. The only complaint is the noise from the traffic if you have a room on the road side. Also despite the power cuts in Quito the hotel maintained enough power through its own generators to keep the elevators working, some hallway lights and room lights. The air conditioning would cut out but come back as soon as the power was restored. This is not the fault of the hotel but the dire power shortage in the country overall.

Staff

Everyone was helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Exploring Antisana Ecological Reserve: Hiking to Laguna de la Mica

Quito

The hike to Laguna de la Mica in the Antisana Ecological Reserve was one of the highlights of our trip. The natural beauty of the area was breathtaking, and it offered a great balance of adventure and serenity. I really enjoyed exploring and soaking in the incredible views.

Transfer from Quito to Mindo - Free Afternoon

Mindo

Our drive to the Mindo Cloud Forest was great, showcasing the diverse landscapes of Ecuador. Seeing how the scenery changed from dry to wet as we transitioned to the lush cloud forest was fascinating. It's a nice journey, especially if you appreciate nature and scenic drives.

Karlita was absolutely wonderful to work with! She did a fantastic job planning this and working with us to help create an unforgettable and truly magical trip! From the get go she did a great job asking questions and listening to what we wanted and really got to know what kind of activities we would like as a family. We loved our guide in Quito, Sebastian, he was very knowledgeable and easy to work with. In the Galapagos, we saw great wildlife. The boat was quite loud and hard to sleep in the bottom area so in the future would prefer the option to have the top floor rooms but otherwise was a good experience. We ended in the Amazon and appreciated being at a lodge which was started by the community. Our local guide, Cheyenne, was fantastic and great at spotting animals and we saw a lot of incredible wildlife. We appreciated the care taken when planning and all the helpful information given in advance, especially about appropriate tipping amount as the amounts given by Karla were reasonable compared to the somewhat outrageous suggested tips given by the Galapagos. Finally, Karla went above and beyond in arranging little surprises for a family member birthday and anniversary which absolutely made our day! We had a great time and would definitely use Karla and team again for any other planned trips in the future! And will definitely recommend Karla and team to all our friends and family who are planning to visit.

Our trip to the Galápagos Islands was everything that we expected and more. Nicolas did an amazing job of answering my numerous questions. And I had a lot! The itinerary was well put together and followed like clockwork. It was great to know that we didn’t have to worry about any details.

Nicolas arranged special arrangements for us and was great to work with.

We had a very nice time and enjoyed the Galapagos very much. We were met at both airports Baltra And Villamil by welcoming guides that greeted us and facilitated our transition into the next legs of our trip. The Eco guides that led our excursions were very knowledgeable and spoke English very well. accommodations , the Albermarle in Villamil and the Solymar on PTO Ayora were very nice for the most part. Upon arrival at Albermarle we found our room upstairs which were overly steep and difficult for my wife to negotiate. The first night at the Albermarle there was a fiesta for Dia De Los Muertos that was very loud until 3-4 in the morning and made it hard to sleep. The day tour to Los Tunneles was ok except the short hike to the Booby nest was inaccessible for my wife as the trail over lava and the transition from boat to lava shore was too difficult for my wife to negotiate. She had to stay in the boat while the group went ashore. The same inaccessibility of the boat small boat landing on N Seymore to explore the nesting Frigate birds and the trail over lava rocks was inaccessible to my wife. Nicholas had informed me that these excursions would be accessible for her but they proved to not be accessible for her.
There was another excursion problem in PTO Ayora. The morning of the excursion to Tortuga Bay, when the guide arrived to pick us up he had about a dozen other tourists with him and he refused to wait 5 minutes for my wife who wasn’t quite ready at 730 am the, pick up time. So they left without us. He made no attempt to facilitate us a way to catch up to them. We ultimately walked ourselves to the 300 stairs staircase up to the Tortuga Bay entry station. We climbed the stairs with difficulty and walked the 3 Km to Tortuga Bay. We enjoyed the Walk to the beautiful Bay and park. We arranged our own water taxi passage back to Ayora.
It would seem reasonable for your company to refund the costs we paid in advance for that excursion that we did not recieve.
Apparently, Nicholas, who arranged our trip itinery, lodgings and excursions according to the criteria I had carefully explained to him regarding my wife’s physical disabilities, has not actually been to these Islands nor experienced the
excursions we were booked onto. If he had he might not have booked us onto the excursions with the very small boat transitions to the difficult shore landings and inaccessible lava rock trails.
The escorted taxi ride and escort on the Itabaca Ferry and bus to the airport was nice. As my wife was leaving the Baltra airport for home I was met by the Galapagos Aggressor dive boat staff for the rest of Galapagos adventure.
Now after spending two weeks in the Galápagos Islands and enjoying them fully I’ve returned safely home. It seems your firm overcharged us considerably for the trip you arranged for us. This may influence whether I can refer your services to anyone in the future.
Sincerely,
Jim Lipow
Riverside California

Hotel Reviews

Albemarle

Puerto Villamil

On the beach, near beachfront restaurants. Breakfast basic.

Authenticity & Character

Excellent room very comfortable

Location

On the beach and close to everything in town

Staff

The office was staffed except late at night to 630 in the morning.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Solymar

Galápagos

Waterfront. good breakfast poolside, harborside. One of the best in town except for maybe 2 ultra posh other hotels. Central location. We had to change to a second room upon arrival because the door knob on our original room was so loose it was about to fall off. The staff was very responsive to this issue and move us immediately.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Wildlife Encounter at Los Tuneles (Cabo Rosa)

Galapagos Islands

With a little effort the Galapagos park authorities could make the shore landing accessible for individuals with disabilities

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snorkeling at Tortuga Bay

Puerto Ayora

The guide would wait 5 minutes and left us behind. What a jerk

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience the Pristine Beauty of Galápagos Islands: Discovering an Uninhabited Island

Puerto Ayora

The walking trail proved to be inaccessible to walkers with disabilities. Too bad because a hand crew could make it accessible in short order .

Quality of Experience

Food

The walking trail

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free Morning Until Departure

Galapagos Islands

Ther was time for nothing before our departure to the airport

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Santa Cruz Island: Highlands (Plant a Tree) & Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

There was no tree planting and no evidence of any tree planting before our visit. But the Darwin Center is a MUST VISIT part of a visit to Santa Cruz and PTO Ayora.

My husband and I loved our 10-day trip to Ecuador with Kimkim. Nick put together a great itinerary and was very patient with our many questions and changes. Once we arrived, Nick checked in periodically to make sure all was going smooth. And we had great experience with Sebastian, our local guide, who drove us between destinations, took us on tours/hikes, gave us tastes of local cuisine, had vast knowledge of the flora/fauna, culture and history of Ecuador, helped with translation, and generally made sure we were taken care of. We had never used a travel service, generally preferring to arrange our own travel, but we were very impressed with everything. And for our honeymoon, it was so nice to not have the extra stress of planning.